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The Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense (AIDA) AIDA is an international non-governmental environmental law organization that has worked since 1998 to empower people across the Americas to protect their environment through the development, implementation, and enforcement of national and international laws. We accomplish this by providing communities and non-governmental organizations with legal and technical assistance that incorporates applicable elements of international law. We also collaborate with both national and international teams of legal experts to establish precedents that will have regional and long-term impacts. Our most significant achievements in 2006 - 2007

As a result of AIDA’s efforts, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) asked the Peruvian government to take precautionary measures to protect inhabitants of La Oroya, Peru, who suffer severe health impacts from contamination by a multi-metal smelter. The Commission recommended that the government provide specialized medical attention to the group we represented in the case, which included many children. By taking this action, the IACHR set an important precedent and publicly recognized that contamination in the city threatens not only the health, but the lives of local peoples.

We published the “Guide to Environmental Defense: Building a Strategy for the Litigation of Cases before the Inter-American System for Human Rights.” The guide promotes understanding of this regional system to protect human rights and encourages strategic litigation before the system to halt human rights abuses caused by environmental degradation.

We protected coastal ecosystems and vulnerable marine species in Costa Rica by halting a risky tuna aquaculture project in a legal victory with JPN and CEDARENA. The court ruling set a precedent that will help prevent damages from other aquaculture projects; a critical advance given that Costa Rica still lacks appropriate aquaculture regulations, like most countries in the hemisphere.

We provided significant legal support in cases related to the construction of mega dams in Mexico (La Parota), Panama (Changuinola), Belize (Chalillo), and Ecuador (Baba). In each country, dam construction and operation threatens to seriously damage the environment and violate human rights. We contributed to the legal cases by sharing information needed to develop strategic legal elements, evaluating legal actions, submitting amicus curiae briefs, and participating in public events. We also developed legal arguments linking international environmental law with human rights, which were later used by participating organizations in other countries to strengthen domestic legal actions. In this manner, we extended our support to more communities and ecosystems at risk.

We safeguarded one of the leatherback sea turtles’ last remaining nesting sites in the Pacific Ocean by winning a lawsuit with CEDARENA before the Constitutional Chamber of the Costa Rican Supreme Court. The ruling required the State to fulfill its obligation to protect the Leatherback National Marine Park, and expropriate private lands within the park slated

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for tourism development. This decision followed an earlier victory in which the Chamber suspended the granting of construction permits within the park.

AIDA Finances AIDA operates on an annual budget of US $420,000, more than 80% of which is directly allocated to project and case development. We employ professionals in eight countries in the hemisphere, including two full-time lawyers, and twelve part-time lawyers and scientists. AIDA is funded entirely by donations from individuals, participating organizations, and foundations committed to our work. We also receive significant in-kind donations from lawyers and other volunteers. If you would like to make a financial contribution to support AIDA, you may do so online by clicking on “Donate” on our website: http://www.aida-americas.org, or by sending a check to: AIDA c/o Earthjustice, 426 17th Street, 6th Floor, Oakland, CA 94612, USA. If you have questions about how to best to make a donation, please call (510) 457-4010. Many thanks! It is only with the support of many dedicated volunteers, partners, and supporters that we were able to reach our goals these past two years. For all their help, we extend a special thank you to this outstanding team of professionals and students: Carlos Abanto, Harvetta Asamoah, Rolando Castro, Ivana Croxcatto, Christian Courtis, Jesse Finfrock, Rafael González, Sarah Hale, Shiloh Hernández, Jennifer Holzer, James Lyall, Horacio Mancilla, Koshland Mayer Blackwell, Diana Moore, Gianluca Nardella, Donna O’Kelly, Elías Peña, Timothy Rausse, Juan Picolotti, Romina Picolotti, Emily Pierson, Elizabeth Quispe, Víctor Rodríguez, David Takacs, José Thompson, Francisco Villagrán, James Word, and Translations for Progress. We are also deeply grateful to the following organizations and foundations for their invaluable support: the Conservation, Food, and Health Foundation; the C.S. Fund; Earthjustice; the Global Opportunities Fund; the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; the Marisla Foundation; and the Oak Foundation. Additionally, we would like to thank our many anonymous and private donors for their trust and financial support, which enables us to continue our work.

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AIDA Board of Directors

Gustavo Alanís, México Secretary, AIDA President, CEMDA Rolando Castro, Costa Rica Lawyer, CEDARENA Fernando Dougnac, Chile Vice President, AIDA President, FIMA Rafael González, Costa Rica Dean, University of Costa Rica

Law School Manolo Morales, Ecuador Executive Director, ECOLEX Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, Peru President, AIDA Executive Director, SPDA Daniel Taillant, Argentina Executive Director, CEDHA Margot Venton, Canada Lawyer, Ecojustice, Canada Martin Wagner, USA Treasurer, AIDA Managing Director, Internacional Program, Earthjustice

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AIDA’s Professional Team and Advisors, 2006 - 2007

- Anna Cederstav, Program Director - Astrid Puentes Riaño, Legal Director - Eliana Ames, Peru (Lawyer, La Oroya) - Lourdes Bascary, Argentina (Lawyer, La Oroya) - Rolando Castro, Costa Rica (Lawyer, Marine Biodiversity Protection) - Carlos Chirinos, Peru (Lawyer, La Oroya) - Isabel Fernández, Mexico (Lawyer, Marine Biodiversity Protection) - María Giménez, Mexico (Lawyer, Marine Biodiversity Protection) - Karina Livschitz, Peru (Lawyer, La Oroya) - Betsy Marsh, United States (Program and Communications Advisor) - Gladys Martínez, Costa Rica (Lawyer, Marine Biodiversity Protection) - Candace Neufeld, United States (Communications Advisor) - John Nova, Colombia (Lawyer, Columbian Biodiversity Protection) - Mónica Ribadeneira, Ecuador (Lawyer, Marine Biodiversity Protection) - Silvana Rivadeneira, Ecuador (Lawyer, Ecuadorean Biodiversity Protection) - Shane Romig, Argentina (Communications Advisor)

AIDA’s Participating Organizations:

Argentina – CEDHA (Center for Human Rights and Environment, Centro de Derechos Humanos y Medio Ambiente)

Canada – Ecojustice

Chile – FIMA, (Fiscalía del Medio Ambiente)

Costa Rica – CEDARENA (Environmental and Natural Resources Law Center, Centro de Derecho Ambiental y de los Recursos Naturales)

Costa Rica – JPN (Justice for Nature, Justicia para la Naturaleza)

Ecuador – ECOLEX (Organization for Environmental Law and Management, Corporación de Gestión y Derecho Ambiental)

United States – Earthjustice

Mexico – CEMDA (Mexican Environmental Law Center. Centro Mexicano de Derecho Ambiental)

Peru – SPDA (Peruvian Society for Environmental Law, Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Ambiental)

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Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense (AIDA)

Statement of Financial Position1 As of July 31, 2006

1 Accrual basis financial statements, audited by Mandel & King C.P.A.s.

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